July 15, 2024

Congresswoman Bush Statement on Army Corps’ Progress on Posting Warning Signs Along Coldwater Creek

St. Louis, MO (July 15, 2024) - Today, Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01) attended a meeting with elected officials in the First District where the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers updated the community about the progress made on posting signage warning people of the potential threat of radioactive waste contamination.

“Without signs, our North County families’ health and safety are unknowingly put at risk. That’s why in my first term, I introduced the Coldwater Creek Signage Act which would require signage to be posted along the creek. Today’s meeting was highly productive and after two years of extensive meetings with the Army Corps, EPA, my office, and community leaders, I believe that we are closer than ever to getting these signs put up. I’m encouraged to see the progress made by the Army Corps, under the leadership of Colonel Andy J. Pannier, has come to fruition. As we continue to push for the cleanup of Manhattan Project waste and compensation for those affected, we will continue to work with the Army Corps and community stakeholders to ensure that our community members are aware of the dangers present and can take steps to protect themselves,” said Congresswoman Cori Bush.

In May 2022, Congresswoman Bush introduced the Coldwater Creek Signage Act which would require signage to be posted along Coldwater Creek informing residents of the dangers of radioactive waste exposure. Since then, the Congresswoman has met with the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to continue her push for warning signs to be placed along the creek.

In addition, Congresswoman Bush has been a longtime champion for the cleanup of Manhattan Project waste. Examples of some of the many actions and legislative measures that Congresswoman Bush has put forward include:

  • In May 2024, Congresswoman Bush joined Congressman James Moylan (GU-00) to introduce a bipartisan amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) which would extend and expand the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to include Missouri, and other parts of the country, that were previously left out.
  • In May 2024, Congresswoman Bush requested an urgent meeting with Speaker Johnson to further push for immediate action on RECA before it expires.  She also sent a letter to every single one of her colleagues urging them to support RECA.
  • In May 2024, Congresswoman Bush joined Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) and colleagues in a bicameral letter urging House Speaker Mike Johnson to immediately act to pass RECA.
  • In April 2024, Congresswoman Bush joined advocates and impacted community members to urge the U.S. House of Representatives to take immediate action on the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act.
  • In October 2023, Congresswoman Bush leveraged her position on the House Oversight Committee to secure a Government Accountability Office report detailing the effects of Manhattan Project waste in St. Louis.
    • In June 2022, initiated a federal review with the Government Accountability Office for the cleanup of radioactive contamination of Coldwater Creek in St. Louis County.
  • In August 2023, Congresswoman Bush met one-on-one with Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm at the Weldon Spring Site Interpretative Center to discuss radioactive waste across St. Louis left decades ago by the Manhattan Project.
  • In April 2023, Congresswoman Bush partnered with Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) to introduce the bipartisan, bicameralJustice for Jana Elementary Act of 2023,which would require the cleanup of Jana Elementary School in Florissant, Missouri located in the Congresswoman’s district.
  • In July 2022, Congresswoman Bush secured an amendment through the House-passed appropriations bill that transferred $500,000 to study the impacts of low-level radiation on human health and the environment.
  • In May 2022, Congresswoman Bush introduced the Coldwater Creek Signage Act which would require signage to be posted along Coldwater Creek informing residents of the dangers of radioactive waste exposure.
  • Congresswoman Bush voted in favor of H.R. 3967, the Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act orHonoring Our PACT Act, which will finally treat toxic exposure as a cost of war by addressing the full range of issues impacting toxic-exposed veterans, including access to earned benefits and health care through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Included in the PACT Act’s final text were four of Congresswoman Bush’s amendments:
    • Amendment 32: This amendment would require that veterans who worked or spent time near the Manhattan Project in St. Louis be studied to determine the impacts of toxic exposure on their health. 
    • Amendment 22: This amendment would require the Department of Defense to look back and review all known cases of toxic exposure on their military bases not only here in America, but also abroad. 
    • Amendment 17: This amendment would incorporate race and ethnicity as demographic options in a study on the rate of cancer in veterans. 
    • Amendment 18: This amendment would include a variety of external factors to be considered in a medical study on all veterans serving after September 11, 2001. Those factors include race, age, period of service, military occupation, gender and disability status. 
  • In July 2021, Congresswoman Bush passed an amendment to H.R. 3684 – the INVEST in America Act. The amendment would require the EPA Administrator to undertake a review of current and ongoing efforts to remediate radiological contamination at Coldwater Creek and to post public signage to prevent exposure risks for residents in the surrounding areas. The Congresswoman worked with activists, community members, and organizations including Just Moms STL, to introduce the amendment.

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